1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spectacles such as safety glasses, and more specifically, to spectacles having easily adjustable temple members combined with flexible ear engaging members including an eye shield or lens that is easily removable and a visual indicator of the adjusted length of the temples.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional spectacles generally have a shield or lens to cover a wearer's eyes along with temples and ear engaging members that are not adjustable to the size of a particular wearer's head or the shape of a wearer's ear. Thus, most conventional safety spectacles must be made in several different sizes and one particular spectacle cannot be used for every wearer.
In addition, the lens or eye shield of spectacles often become scratched or damaged during extensive use. Consequently, the spectacles including the entire frame assembly and lens or eye shield are frequently discarded and replaced with new spectacles. Conventional safety spectacles are not constructed to readily and securely allow only the damaged lens or eyepiece to be removed and replaced.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,649,106, 4,012,130 and 4,026,640 teach the use of an adjustable ear engaging member connected to a temple to allow a wearer to adjust the ear engaging member to the shape of that individual wearer's ear. None of these temples have a device for adjusting the length of the temple or the location where the ear engaging member engages a wearer's ear.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,608 teaches spectacles including adjustable temples 22a'shown in FIG. 6 which are connected to an ear engaging member 22d'by a rivet 50 or snap fastener 52a, 52b. To adjust the length of the temple and the location where the ear engaging member fits onto a wearer's ears, the wearer must remove the rivets 50 or snap fasteners 52a, 52b from holes located in the temple 22a'and then re-insert the rivets or snap fasteners into the holes in the temple 22a'at a desired location. The adjustment process is complicated because the wearer must separate, reposition and then reattach the ear engaging member 22d'to the temple 22a'to make an adjustment in size. As shown in FIG. 9, the ear engaging member 22d'may be formed of a soft pliable plastic which surrounds a soft flexible wire 74 to permit the ear engaging member to be shaped to any desired configuration to fit a wearer's head and ears.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,284 teaches similar spectacles which include an expandable temple member shown in FIG. 2. The telescopic temple member 22 has a plurality of nested portions 23, 24 and 25 which allow the length of the temples to be altered. The nested portions 23-25 fit inside the telescopic member 22 when the glasses are not in use. The temples do not have an adjustable ear engaging portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,479 discloses spectacles having a temple 21 connected to an earhook 11 by a sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 is riveted to holes 24 to connect the earhook 11 to the temple 21. The sleeve 26 can be made in sizes of various lengths to accommodate the requirements of different wearers. However, the sleeve is riveted to the temple and after an appropriate length of the temple is selected, the length of the temple is not adjustable because the earhook 11 and sleeve 26 are riveted together.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,910,743 teaches trial spectacles having a temple which is formed of two connected temple members 10 and 11. Members 10 and 11 are connected by a spring loaded temple adjusting member 15, 16, 17 which allows the length of the temple to be adjusted to measure the length of a temple required for a particular wearer. The length of the temple is adjusted by moving member 10 relative to member 11. These spectacles do not have an adjustable ear member and the spring loaded temple adjusting member is cumbersome and difficult to adjust.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,467 discloses a spectacle frame having a temple 3 with a groove 9 formed therein to receive an ear engaging abutment bar 2. The bar 2 is movable along the groove 9 to a desired position. Once the bar is located in a desired position, a lateral cam element 8 formed on the bar 2 is rotated so that the sharp corners 8" of the cam element dig into the undercut portions of the groove 9 to secure the bar 2 in position. These spectacles do not have an adjustable ear engaging member. Also, the adjustment of the temple length is difficult because it requires a wearer to locate a desired position of the ear engaging member and then hold the ear engaging member in position while rotating a bar to secure the desired position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,245 teaches safety spectacles having an adjustable length temple 24. The temple includes a side arm 28 that is movably fitted within the temple 24. Side arm 28 has serrations 60 on an upper portion which cooperate with a projection 56 formed within the temple 24 to hold the side arm 28 within the temple 24. The length of the temple can be adjusted by sliding the side arm 28 in and out of the temple 24. However, the temple does not include an adjustable ear engaging member or a visual indication of the adjusted length of the temple.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,955,708 and 5,007,727 disclose sunglasses having an adjustable temple connected to a flexible ear engaging member. These sunglasses do not have a visual indicator of the adjusted length of each temple and do not include any structure for removing the eye shield.
Based on the prior art described above, there exists a need for spectacles that have adjustable temple members in combination with adjustable ear engaging members that provide a visual indicator of the adjusted length of each temple. Also, there is a need for spectacles in which a eye shield or lens is quickly and easily removable and replaceable.